"BRICK CITY" THE OFFICIAL NEWARK DISCUSSION THREAD

Newark88

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Embattled college placed on probation
Updated Nov 21, 11:23 AM; Posted Nov 21, 8:00 AM



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By Karen Yi

kyi@njadvancemedia.com,

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEWARK -- Essex County College's accrediting agency issued its most severe rebuke yet to the institution on Monday, citing the college's ongoing troubles and placing it on probation.

The escalated action moves the college one step closer toward having its accreditation revoked, which would mean students are no longer eligible for federal financial aid and in most cases would be unable to afford attending the school and ending a revenue stream that could shut the college's doors.

Losing accreditation is very rare but for Essex County College, which serves more than 10,000 students and employs 500 people, the consequences could be heavy-felt in the community.

"We remain resolved and resolute to address each and every compliance matter outlined by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education," President Anthony Munroe told NJ Advance Media. He was adamant that teaching and learning were not the issue and the quality of the academics remained unchanged.

"The academic integrity of the school has not been called into question through this," he said. Students "are getting a good, quality education."




Scandal envelops N.J. college facing down doomsday scenario

A group of clergy has made new allegations against members of the Board of Trustees and attorneys for the college as Essex County College tries to hold on to its accreditation.



Last November, Middle States, the agency that accredits area colleges, placed the college on warning, giving it two years -- to November 2018 -- to correct problems. The probation status does not change the timeline; the college still has another year to cure its woes and remain accredited.

In a letter sent to the college Monday, the Middle States Commission said the institution remained out of compliance with two standards: institutional resources and leadership and governance.

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Munroe said the college was implementing internal controls to ensure its finances met standards. The issue of governance, however, "is going to be a big challenge for us because it's going to be beyond our internal control," Munroe said.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. appoints a majority of the Board of Trustees; two are appointed by the governor.

A vocal group of clergy in recent months have lobbed allegations of political interference at the college, claiming DiVincenzo and his appointments exert undue influence at the school.

"When will we put students over politics, people over politics?" asked Rev. Ronald Slaughter, pastor of Saint James AME Church in Newark. "Middle States is watching this stuff, probation is nothing to play with."

Infighting between Munroe, who started in May, and some members of the Board of Trustees have played out in the media, with each side accusing the other of wrongdoing. Munroe has also accused some trustees of undermining his presidency.

DiVincenzo has replaced a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees and contributed an additional $1.5 million to the college's operating budget, upping the county's total contribution to $13.95 million this year.

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"The president has got to make sure his financial house is in order. I want to be helpful, I want to be supportive to him," he said. "We're doing our job and now he has to do his job."

Regarding governance issues, Middle States said the college, in part, had to show it was developing and implementing some type of document that "provides for collegial governance" and it had to develop a selection process for governing body members.

"We will continue to partner with those who are committed to advancing the mission of the institution," Munroe said.

George Gollin, a University of Illinois professor and former board member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, called the move for probation a "pretty dire step."

As for the thousands of students walking the halls of Essex County College each day, Gollin said the years-long back-and-forth between Middle States and the school is "scary as all get out for them."

But Gollin said the students' credits earned should still transfer to four-year schools.

"There's some protection for the students," he said, noting that even in the unlikely instance that the school loses accreditation and is forced to shutter, the college would likely make arrangements with another nearby college to transfer its students.


DiVincenzo said the community shouldn't be concerned. "We're going to work together to make sure that institution stays stable," he said.

The college must submit a monitoring report on next March. A team of peer evaluators from Middle States will visit the college afterwards and report back to the Commission. If problems are not fixed, the Commission can issue the harshest action, a "show cause," before fully revoking accreditation come November.

Trustees will meet on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Smith Hall on the Newark campus.
 

Newark88

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'It needs to stop' Sen. Rice says of troubled college's woes
Updated Nov 21, 9:03 PM; Posted Nov 21, 8:00 PM
Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, speaks at the Essex County College Board of Trustees meeting. (Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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NEWARK -- Speaking at the institution he once graduated from, state Sen. Ronald Rice expressed his anger and frustration at Essex County College's shaky status with its accreditation.

"I'm disheartened, I'm angry ... I've never seen Essex County College in this precarious situation of probation," Rice, D-Essex, said at the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, a day after the institution's accrediting agency issued its strongest rebuke against the college.

He didn't mince words.

Rice blamed the college's troubles on undue meddling from the office of Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., who appoints a majority of the trustees.

"Isolate yourself on his politics, that's not your responsibility," Rice told trustees, a majority of whom were recently appointed by DiVincenzo amid a leadership shakeup.

"You have a legal, moral and constitutional responsibility as well as a spiritual one to do the work of this institution, on behalf of the student body and the workers here and the taxpayers in this county -- not the political authority, not the appointing authority."

Rice's comments add to the chorus of similar allegations that have plagued the college for months as it struggles to fix issues of governance and finance identified by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the agency that accredits area colleges.

DiVincenzo has repeatedly denied that he has interfered with college affairs outside of his responsibility to appoint trustees and help fund the college.

"I never ran that institution," he told NJ Advance Media earlier in the day. He said he's been responsive to concerns about the college by appointing new board members and boosting the college's funding.

"We've changed 80 percent of the board, the people who we put are all very good people, they all want to see the college move forward," he said. "We're 100 percent behind the college. Nobody made changes the way I made changes, as quickly as they wanted."




Embattled college placed on probation

The agency that accredits area colleges has placed Essex County College on probation, bringing it a step closer to losing its accreditation status.



A group of clergy has publicly decried the politics they say are hindering the school and president Anthony Munroe's ability to do his job. Munroe began his term in June.

Clergy members have also called for the resignation of several board members who Munroe has accused of undermining his presidency.

Trustee Safanya Searcy, whom the clergy have called on to step down, told county officials she was resigning on Tuesday. She was not at the meeting.

Middle States said the college, in part, had to show it was developing and implementing some type of document that "provides for collegial governance" and it had to develop a selection process for governing body members.






Rice and others, too, raised concerns about the selection process for new trustees.

But county officials said new trustees are vetted and selected by DiVincenzo according to state statue. A search committee of five county employees recommends potential trustees to DiVincenzo who then makes a recommendation to the Board of Chosen Freeholders for final approval.

Addressing the public, Munroe reiterated the accreditation problems had nothing to do with the college's academics.

"We have provided a high quality education, that has never been called into question," he said. "I am sure we have the grit, the determination, the expertise and the passion to make sure that we return to our rightful place."

Probation moves the college one notch closer toward losing its accreditation, which allows students to obtain federal grants to attend. The college was placed on warning last November and still has until Nov. 2018 to improve.

Munroe met with faculty and students on Tuesday, answering their questions and concerns.

"I'm pretty hopeful that everything is going to be fine," said first semester student Tiffany F. "I've seen changes, they've done great things."


The college will submit a monitoring report to Middle States in March; the Middle States Commission will vote again in June on the college's status.

"We're taking the politics out of Essex County College ... it needs to stop," Rice said. "The reality is it's a new day for Essex County College, we're going to protect our institution."
 

Newark88

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Crazy, I've known Kiburi for over 20 years too

Newark developer admits tax evasion, wire fraud involving his nonprofit

Updated Nov 20; Posted Nov 20
In July photo, Kiburi Tucker joined city officials at a groundbreaking Monday for the 42-unit Tucker View apartment and commercial project he is developing in the Weequahic neighborhood of Newark's South Ward. Tucker pleaded guilty Monday to tax evasion and wire fraud. (Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media)
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By Thomas Moriarty and Karen Yi

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NEWARK -- A non-profit director and Newark developer with deep ties to the city pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to wire fraud and tax evasion charges.

Kiburi Tucker, whose late father Donald Kofi Tucker, served on the state Assembly and on the Newark City Council until he died in 2005, admitted he used money from the bank accounts of his nonprofit, The Centre Inc., to fund gambling and other personal expenses.

He also underreported his income from other work and failed to pay more than $133,000 in taxes, according to federal prosecutors.

Tucker, 43, is the executive director of The Centre, a nonprofit dedicated to "civic and cultural uplifting of the greater Newark area" according to a description on his LinkedIn page.

Between January 2012 and December 2015, Tucker withdrew $165,880 from The Centre's operating account using ATMs in New Jersey and numerous other states in order to pay for gambling expenses, according to charging documents filed in U.S. District Court.

Authorities said Tucker also made $95,679 in other cash withdrawals from The Centre's payroll account, after the bank closed the operating account because it had been frequently overdrawn.

In total, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement, he defrauded the center of $332,116 between 2012 and 2015.

Tucker on Monday apologized to his friends, family and the community.

"I'm tremendously embarrassed by the situation," Tucker told reporters after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares.

In addition to his role at The Centre, Tucker is also listed as the chief executive officer of Elite Strategies LLC, state corporation records show.

As part of his guilty plea, he admitted underreporting more than $177,0000 on his 2015 tax return, for which he owed more than $56,000 to the IRS. The underreported income included profits from Elite Strategies and funds he embezzled from The Centre, according to court documents.

Under the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed not to pursue further tax evasion charges against Tucker for tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014, although he will have to pay $133,624 in restitution to the IRS for all four years.

Linda Jumah, president of Elite Strategies, previously pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion earlier this month for failing to report more than $121,000 earned in 2015, resulting in a tax loss of nearly $40,000.

Tucker, who was represented by defense attorneys Timothy Donohue and Alfred DeCotiis, looked down at the counsel table as Linares went through the conditions of the plea agreement.



When the judge asked what he intended to plea to the charges, Tucker responded: "Guilty."

The U.S. Attorney's Office, represented in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacques S. Pierre, said the charges against Tucker stemmed from an investigation by the FBI's Newark Division, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General.




Political consulting firm owner admits to tax evasion

Linda O. Jumah under-reported more than $121K in income earned in 2015



Tucker was employed at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission since 1994. He worked as a senior external relations representative earning $113,082, commission spokesman Doug Scancarella told NJ Advance Media. Scancarella said Tucker resigned on Nov. 10.

Tucker is also developing a 42-unit apartment complex in the South Ward.

Mayor Ras Baraka and other local politicians have lauded Tucker's plans to build a mixed residential and commercial space on Bergen Street in the Weequahic section of the South Ward.

During the groundbreaking ceremony in July, which drew heavyweights from around the state -- including Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop -- Tucker said the $10 million development project had been six years in the making.

The city is giving Tucker $3 million in tax breaks and other incentives for the market-rate units with 20 percent set aside for low- and moderate-income units, city officials said at the time.


Tucker and his family have long-standing ties to the city. His mother, Cleopatra Tucker, was elected to the state Assembly in 2008.

"I let them down," Tucker said of the community members who trusted him. "I'm going to try and rectify the situation to the best of my ability, and I accept the consequences and take full responsibility for my actions."

The wire fraud charge to which Tucker pleaded guilty carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years in prison, while the tax evasion charge carries up to five, Linares said.

While the the judge indicated he would review federal guidelines in determining Tucker's sentence, "I cannot tell you today exactly and precisley where you're going to fall on the guidelines," Linares told him.

Tucker's sentencing has been scheduled for 11 a.m. on Feb. 27, 2018
 

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Lot of African immigrants in the area went to ECC and then transferred to colleges. They all say that when Dr.Zach Yamba was removed/left/forced out that it was the beginning of ECC problems.

Ron Rice and K.Tucker are typical crook politicians...
 

newarkhiphop

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:snoop: I went to ECC

Fun fact I went to a 2 year trade school (Katherine Gibbs college) which used to be in Montclair, it lost its accreditation and shut its doors a few years after I graduated and the credits I took there are worth nothing,

Idk if it's the same now but ecc loosing it's accreditation would be huge.


What exactly are they doing wrong?
 

Newark88

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@Newark88

Lot of African immigrants in the area went to ECC and then transferred to colleges. They all say that when Dr.Zach Yamba was removed/left/forced out that it was the beginning of ECC problems.

Ron Rice and K.Tucker are typical crook politicians...
Yea ECC was/is a great community college with a lot to offer (ie Nursing program, Africana Studies, Criminal Justice etc). Dr. Yamba"s tenure was definitely the golden era of the college. Once he left, the college has been plagued with corrupt administrations.
 

get these nets

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:snoop: I went to ECC

Fun fact I went to a 2 year trade school (Katherine Gibbs college) which used to be in Montclair, it lost its accreditation and shut its doors a few years after I graduated and the credits I took there are worth nothing,

Idk if it's the same now but ecc loosing it's accreditation would be huge.


What exactly are they doing wrong?



Yea ECC was/is a great community college with a lot to offer (ie Nursing program, Africana Studies, Criminal Justice etc). Dr. Yamba"s tenure was definitely the golden era of the college. Once he left, the college has been plagued with corrupt administrations.
Do you remember when Upsala in East Orange closed down?

I remember reading articles about how it happened and was amazed that a college would or could close down.

I put up articles in root and locker room sections about the problems that HBCU Cheyney U. is going through.

Again, it boggles my mind that a university could close down, or in Cheyney's case lose accreditation.
 

Brandon M.

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they wanted to do this in 2009 too with ecc.....this would KILL Newark. UCC too far for most people without a car tryna make ends meet

i hope this doesn't happen
 

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Man, Teen Charged With Felony Murder in Deadly Carjacking
A Newark man and a teenage boy have been charged with felony murder in the death of a community organizer shot and killed during a Thanksgiving Day carjacking.
Nov. 25, 2017, at 10:07 a.m.



Man, Teen Charged With Felony Murder in Deadly Carjacking








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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A Newark man and a teenage boy have been charged with felony murder in the death of a community organizer shot and killed during a Thanksgiving Day carjacking.

Essex County prosecutors say 18-year-old Supreme Allah Jr. and the 14-year-old boy are also charged with murder, robbery, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons offenses in the death 40-year-old Newark resident Sharice Henry. Another Newark man, 20-year-old Antonio Torres, 20, was charged with eluding.

Authorities say Henry and her young nephew were in her car when the attack occurred around 11 p.m. Thursday. The child wasn't hurt.

The three defendants were arrested early Friday after police spotted the car. They were captured after a brief foot chase.

It wasn't known Saturday if any of the defendants have retained attorneys.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press
 

Yinny

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:snoop: I went to ECC

Fun fact I went to a 2 year trade school (Katherine Gibbs college) which used to be in Montclair, it lost its accreditation and shut its doors a few years after I graduated and the credits I took there are worth nothing,

Idk if it's the same now but ecc loosing it's accreditation would be huge.


What exactly are they doing wrong?

Mainly financing, poor oversight and accountability for faculty/student rolls.
 
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